Margherita Bassi, Author at Gizmodo

Artist’s Illustration Of Cloudy Disk Orbiting Distant Star

Astronomers Spot a Mysterious Metallic Cloud Orbiting Something Even More Mysterious

Did we mention it's mysterious?

Incredible Hand Stencil With Claw-Like Fingers Could Be Oldest Known Cave Art

A newly dated Indonesian cave painting may be 1,100 years older than the world’s oldest known rock art, but not everyone is convinced by the evidence.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Gaming More Than 10 Hours a Week? You’ll Want to Read This

Here's what scientists discovered when they investigated the health of three types of video gamers in Australia.

Health Margherita Bassi

Scientists Finally Figured Out How Some People Get Drunk Without Drinking

Gut microbes can make people drunk without booze. Scientists now know which ones to blame.

Health Margherita Bassi

Archaeologists Uncover Gigantic Medieval Ship With Features Seen Only on Paper

The shipwreck is exceptionally preserved and provides the first archaeological confirmation of features seen in illustrations.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Archaeologists in Sicily Discover an Ancient Stylus With an Erection. Yes, That Kind of Erection

The over 2,400-year-old ceramist's stylus likely features Dionysus...and his other bits.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Researchers Discover Previously Unknown Species in Utah’s Great Salt Lake

And they've proposed two "kind of crazy" ideas for how it got there.

Biology Margherita Bassi

New Research Exposes the Good and the Gross in Pompeii’s Baths

Mount Vesuvius preserved the ancient city's water system, including evidence of filth.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Astronomers Discover Unusual Asteroid Spinning Faster Than Anything Its Size

Way out there in the asteroid belt is an object that's spinning so fast, scientists are surprised it hasn't flown apart.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi

Poison-Laced Arrows Date Back Tens of Thousands of Years Earlier Than Expected

The use of poisoned weapons 60,000 years ago would have required big brain power.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Researchers Just Sampled 1.4-Billion-Year-Old Air—and It’s Not What They Expected

A "boring" time period may not have been so boring after all.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi

773,000-Year-Old Fossils Add a New Twist to Humanity’s Deep Origins

New research sheds light on the ancestors that gave rise to Neanderthals, Denisovans—and us.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Tsunami Triggered by Giant Russian Quake Broke the Rules, Satellite Data Shows

The 2025 tsunami is shattering old models, thanks to observations from space.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi

Intermittent Fasting Isn’t Doing What You Think It’s Doing

Time-restricted eating without a change in how much you eat doesn't seem to do anything for your metabolic health.

Health Margherita Bassi

This Pocket-Sized Lab Might Prevent You From Going Into Anaphylactic Shock

A person goes to the emergency room in the U.S. every 10 seconds over an allergic reaction to food. Could this gadget bring the numbers down?

Health Margherita Bassi

How Are U.S. Dams Holding Up? New Satellite Data Warns of Trouble

There's never been a giant dam failure in the US modern era, and a team of researchers is looking to keep it that way.

Earther Margherita Bassi

Vesuvius Exploded in August—So Why Were Pompeii Victims Wearing Heavy Clothing?

Despite the fact that Mount Vesuvius triggered one of the most infamous ancient tragedies, not everyone agrees on exactly when it took place.

Human History Margherita Bassi

The Surprising Way Hurricanes Pump Carbon Into the Air—and Life Into the Ocean

New research shows that tropical cyclones leave behind more than death and destruction.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi

One of the Most Complete Human Ancestors Ever Found Isn’t Who We Thought It Was

New research challenges the previous identification of a famous fossil dubbed "Little Foot."

Human History Margherita Bassi

The U.S. Might Finally Approve a Sunscreen Ingredient the World’s Been Using for Decades

The FDA has proposed adding bemotrizinol to the list of approved active ingredients for sunscreens.

Health Margherita Bassi

Margherita Bassi

Astronomers Spot a Mysterious Metallic Cloud Orbiting Something Even More Mysterious

Incredible Hand Stencil With Claw-Like Fingers Could Be Oldest Known Cave Art

Gaming More Than 10 Hours a Week? You’ll Want to Read This

Scientists Finally Figured Out How Some People Get Drunk Without Drinking

Archaeologists Uncover Gigantic Medieval Ship With Features Seen Only on Paper

Archaeologists in Sicily Discover an Ancient Stylus With an Erection. Yes, That Kind of Erection

Researchers Discover Previously Unknown Species in Utah’s Great Salt Lake

New Research Exposes the Good and the Gross in Pompeii’s Baths

Astronomers Discover Unusual Asteroid Spinning Faster Than Anything Its Size

Poison-Laced Arrows Date Back Tens of Thousands of Years Earlier Than Expected

Researchers Just Sampled 1.4-Billion-Year-Old Air—and It’s Not What They Expected

773,000-Year-Old Fossils Add a New Twist to Humanity’s Deep Origins

Tsunami Triggered by Giant Russian Quake Broke the Rules, Satellite Data Shows

Intermittent Fasting Isn’t Doing What You Think It’s Doing

This Pocket-Sized Lab Might Prevent You From Going Into Anaphylactic Shock

How Are U.S. Dams Holding Up? New Satellite Data Warns of Trouble

Vesuvius Exploded in August—So Why Were Pompeii Victims Wearing Heavy Clothing?

The Surprising Way Hurricanes Pump Carbon Into the Air—and Life Into the Ocean

One of the Most Complete Human Ancestors Ever Found Isn’t Who We Thought It Was

The U.S. Might Finally Approve a Sunscreen Ingredient the World’s Been Using for Decades

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Don’t Get Too Attached to Any AI App

‘Paradise’ Writer Teases What’s Coming in Season 3 After That Huge Twist

Trump’s New White House App Is Mildly Concerning and Weird for a Lot of Reasons

Bloodsucking Ticks Can Survive Inside Your Home Longer Than You Might Think

The Best New Toys of March 2026

Judge Denies Liking LinkedIn Post Critical of Elon Musk But Reassigns His Cases Anyway

Amazon Slashes 50% Off Keurig K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker, Now a Budget Alternative to Breville and Nespresso Espresso Machines

Sun’s Latest Outburst Complicates Planned Launch of Artemis 2

Instagram Will Finally Let You Lurk to Your Heart’s Content—for a Price

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets